" Poetry is the opening and closing of a door, leaving those who look through to guess about what is seen during the moment." (3)
On January, 6 in Galesburg, Illinois, Carl Sandburg was born. Even as a young boy he worked odd jobs. After eighth grade Sandburg quit school and spent the next ten years working odd jobs. He was then a hobo for a few years. While being a hobo he learned songs, that he performed when he was older. He saw the big differences between rich and poor and his drove him away from capitalism. When the Spanish-American war came up, Sandburg volunteered and when he was twenty he was sent to Puerto Rico. When he came back he attended Lombard College and earned money as a fireman on call. While in college his literary talents and political views were shaped. Phillip Green White, a scholar at Lombard, was one of Carl’s man encouragers and White also encouraged him to be a socialist. His first book was published in the basement press in 1904 and not much of a success. He published a book in 1907 and one in 1908. In 1907 he worked as an organizer for the Wisconsin Social Democratic party by writing for them. In 1908 he married Lillian Steichen. His life as a married man encouraged him to move to Chicago as a journalist and worked for the Chicago Daily News for a few years. In 1914 he was not well known, but his poems in the magazine Poetry changed that. Then he published Chicago Poems in 1916 and Cornhuskers in 1919. In 1922 a children’s book, Rootabega Stories, was published. In 1926 Sandburg published Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years, to which he added several more volumes. For this he won the Pulitzer Prize. After the first volume he moved to the dunes in Michigan. He also published a novel, volume of songs, and an autobiography. The Sandburgs moved to Flat Rock, North Carolina in 1945. Sandburg won a second Pulitzer Prize for Complete Poems in 1951. He died in North Carolina at his home on July 22, 1967. His ashes are under Remembrance Rock and his wife’s ashes were placed there ten years later. (1)
Carl Sandburg
" Poetry is the opening and closing of a door, leaving those who look through to guess about what is seen during the moment." (3)
On January, 6 in Galesburg, Illinois, Carl Sandburg was born. Even as a young boy he worked odd jobs. After eighth grade Sandburg quit school and spent the next ten years working odd jobs. He was then a hobo for a few years. While being a hobo he learned songs, that he performed when he was older. He saw the big differences between rich and poor and his drove him away from capitalism. When the Spanish-American war came up, Sandburg volunteered and when he was twenty he was sent to Puerto Rico. When he came back he attended Lombard College and earned money as a fireman on call. While in college his literary talents and political views were shaped. Phillip Green White, a scholar at Lombard, was one of Carl’s man encouragers and White also encouraged him to be a socialist. His first book was published in the basement press in 1904 and not much of a success. He published a book in 1907 and one in 1908. In 1907 he worked as an organizer for the Wisconsin Social Democratic party by writing for them. In 1908 he married Lillian Steichen. His life as a married man encouraged him to move to Chicago as a journalist and worked for the Chicago Daily News for a few years. In 1914 he was not well known, but his poems in the magazine Poetry changed that. Then he published Chicago Poems in 1916 and Cornhuskers in 1919. In 1922 a children’s book, Rootabega Stories, was published. In 1926 Sandburg published Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years, to which he added several more volumes. For this he won the Pulitzer Prize. After the first volume he moved to the dunes in Michigan. He also published a novel, volume of songs, and an autobiography. The Sandburgs moved to Flat Rock, North Carolina in 1945. Sandburg won a second Pulitzer Prize for Complete Poems in 1951. He died in North Carolina at his home on July 22, 1967. His ashes are under Remembrance Rock and his wife’s ashes were placed there ten years later. (1)Works Consulted
"Carl Sandburg's Biography." 2008. 6 March 2008. <http://carl-sandburg.com/biography.htm>
"Carl Sandburg." 7 March 2008. <http://media.npr.org/programs/morning/features/2006/oct/sandburg/sandburg200.jpg>
"Carl Sandburg Quotes." 2008. 7 March 2008. <http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/c/carl_sandburg.html>
" Jazz Fantasia." 2008. 8 March 2008. < http://youtube.com/watch?v=OYwReNQNaIM>
"Sandburg Portrait." 7 March 2008. http://www.bonesteelfilms.com/Images/carl%20portrait_large.jpg</span>
Links
1920s Poetry Home PageFamous Poets
Carl Sandburg Poems